Will Apple ever make a round-face AW?

[pika2000]

I am a fan of round-face watches. Right now, I'm using the moto 360 with my 6S. But of course I prefer something with better integration like the AW.
On Android smart watches, used to be everybody making rectangle watches as well (Sony, Asus etc). Then come Motorola, and now round face seem to be the norm (Huawei, LG, etc).
The thing with AW is the band ecosystem. Apple seems to have designed the bands with the assumptions of a rectangular watch body. I mean I don't see a way for the mechanism to work on a round-face body, unless the actual body is rectangular.

What do you guys think? I have a feeling if I want an AW, I have to accept not using a round-face watch.

 

[lax28]

I will never say never, but I would think Apple will not change from the current band system anytime soon. Plus original Apple watch was out 18 months before series 2, so one may guess we may see 18 maybe 24 months before series 3. All depends on how much the hardware is capable of given software updates.

All that said...If you want an Apple watch you should get one, maybe even a series one since your not in love with it, otherwise plan on waiting maybe years (b/c nobody really knows) before you see a round version

 

[flyinmac]

Aside from a puck mouse, and a trash can Mac Pro, Apple has historically preferred squares and rectangles. Though the original iMac was curvy, from the face it was still generally square shaped.

 

[44267547]

I think it's very possible. By Version 3, I'm not entirely confident we will see a round variant. I think we will see a larger Millimeter Watch face, possibly three sizes. If Apple Offered a round Watch, I would definitely purchase it, to mix it up with my current Apple Watch I have now.

 

[pika2000]

I think it's very possible. By Version 3, I'm not entirely confident we will see a round variant. I think we will see a larger Millimeter Watch face, possibly three sizes. If Apple Offered a round Watch, I would definitely purchase it, to mix it up with my current Apple Watch I have now.

I'll be those first few people pushing the pre-order button if Apple made a round-face AW But looking at the band ecosystem, it seems unlikely.

 

[Justim]

Round things literally go against Apple design standards. When developing the Machintosh, Steve Jobs made one of his employees walk outside while Steve pointed out all the rectangles with rounded corners.

So to answer your question, probably not. Maybe one year as an Edition

 

[44267547]

I'll be those first few people pushing the pre-order button if Apple made a round-face AW But looking at the band ecosystem, it seems unlikely.

I think it's very possible. But unlikely by Version three. But who knows. Apple can pull a surprise, like they have in the past.

 

[evoga]

The round design only made sense in the old days when they only had physical hands which moved around to to tell the time. Now it's a device to give you information it would be pointless to make it round as you are wasting all that space at the corners to display the information.

 

[pika2000]

The round design only made sense in the old days when they only had physical hands which moved around to to tell the time. Now it's a device to give you information it would be pointless to make it round as you are wasting all that space at the corners to display the information.

There are rectangle traditional watches, and round digital watches, so that argument about round only "made sense" for physical hands is not truly valid.

 

[area52]

Round things literally go against Apple design standards. When developing the Machintosh, Steve Jobs made one of his employees walk outside while Steve pointed out all the rectangles with rounded corners.

So to answer your question, probably not. Maybe one year as an Edition

He'd certainly be displeased with their new headquarters then

 

[matrix07]

Never say never but I'd be very surprised if there's round AW. The current situation benefits Apple unintentionally. Thinks about it. Nowadays it's really hard to recognise iPhone in the sea of other phones because they all are just very much alike. Even headphone now, almost all brands are white and looks flimsy just like EarBuds. Now you get Android Wear going round in opposite of Apple Watch so why would Apple follow them? They want to be different not similar. There is zero benefit for looking like Android Wear.
I would guess people at Apple now are rubbing their hands with glee when everybody else didn't copy their industrial designs for once.

 

[recoil80]

In tech world you can never say "never", we don't know what will happen in 10 years.
But I guess we won't see a round Watch anytime soon. And as a developer I can tell you we'll know that in advance, because something would change in a way we design apps if a round Watch was around the corner.
Now a big part of the user interface is made by scrollable items from top to bottom, and that works well for a rectangular display but should change for a round one.

 

[Rok73]

Hopefully not. I love the AW design.

 

[bandrews]

I'm really not convinced by the idea of a round smart watch but then I've always quite liked square watches and don't understand some people's insistence that a watch should be round.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Since their OS and their entire developer base are focused on square screen development, I would say absolutely no. There's too much wasted space on a round screen.

 

[OllyW]

Round things literally go against Apple design standards.

Apple can do round.

[doublepost=1476261571][/doublepost]

I'm really not convinced by the idea of a round smart watch but then I've always quite liked square watches and don't understand some people's insistence that a watch should be round.

It's simple, a lot of people just prefer the look of round watches, I know I do.

I'm sure Apple could make a round Apple Watch work very well if they put their mind to it. Even if they don't go with a round design I think they will have to offer a bit more variety with future designs other than size, materials and finish.

 

[Julien]

It is about space use efficiency (especially text) and in that a round face loses badly. In order to convey the same amount of info a round face must be considerably larger. (pic 1) Keeping the face about the same size will result in less display area. (pic 2)

 

[8692574]

Round things literally go against Apple design standards.

Aside from a puck mouse, and a trash can Mac Pro, Apple has historically preferred squares and rectangles. Though the original iMac was curvy, from the face it was still generally square shaped.

Uhmm no.....

Puck Mouse
Mac Pro Cylinder
iMac
iMac G4
Mighty mouse (was very rounded)
iBook Clamshell (was definetly ....rounder than a square )
TAM (was a good mix of square and circles)
iSight
eMate
iPod nanos (they were very oval)
The airport base (the first....)
I mean there is no trend that suggest they prefere one or the other, of course someproduct are more "square" or "rectangle" because of the function, buit they always added a "roundness" to it see iphones, they are rectangles, but even they had very round edges.

Enven in the Jobs era, we had rounded and non rounded things

 

[OllyW]

It is about space use efficiency (especially text) and in that a round face loses badly. In order to convey the same amount of info a round face must be considerably larger.

Have you done the maths?

The screen size of the 42mm Watch is 390px x 312px.

390 x 312 = 121680px²
π x 195 x 195 = 119459px²

A round screen with a 390px diameter has around 2% less screen estate, so the case of the round watch would need to be wider but not any higher.

 

[8692574]

Have you done the maths?

The screen size of the 42mm Watch is 390px x 312px.

390 x 312 = 121680px²
π x 195 x 195 = 119459px²

A round screen with a 390px diameter has around 2% less screen estate, so the case of the round watch would need to be wider but not any higher.

Then it become an ellipse!!!

 

[OllyW]

Then it become an ellipse!!!

Wider than the current rectangular watch case.

 

[pika2000]

It is about space use efficiency (especially text) and in that a round face loses badly. In order to convey the same amount of info a round face must be considerably larger. (pic 1) Keeping the face about the same size will result in less display area. (pic 2)

It's a bitmap screen. You can simply redesign the UI to match the round design. Android wear turned out fine going from rectangle/square to round. Don't tell me Apple doesn't have the chops to do that with the genius Ivy on board.
Now, the straps ecosystem is a different story. I just cannot think a way to adapt the current mechanism into a round face watch (without making it basically rectangle body).

Of course, coincidentally my Moto 360's battery is not charging beyond 70% now. I might give AW a chance, at least try some at a store.

 

[Julien]

Have you done the maths?

The screen size of the 42mm Watch is 390px x 312px.

390 x 312 = 121680px²
π x 195 x 195 = 119459px²

A round screen with a 390px diameter has around 2% less screen estate, so the case of the round watch would need to be wider but not any higher.

Not talking about equivalency in area (sq mm size). I referring to actually displaying legible/readable text (messages) on the screen. You can't put letters in the 'corner' of a circle so you end up with a lot a wasted space that can only be made up for by increasing the circumference.
[doublepost=1476267369][/doublepost]

It's a bitmap screen. You can simply redesign the UI to match the round design. Android wear turned out fine going from rectangle/square to round....

...and would you buy a round iPhone or iMac screen since it 'can' be done?

 

[OllyW]

Not talking about equivalency in area (sq mm size). I referring to actually displaying legible/readable text (messages) on the screen. You can't put letters in the 'corner' of a circle so you end up with a lot a wasted space that can only be made up for by increasing the circumference.

The 38mm Apple Watch is a lot smaller and that seems to work ok.

 

[Julien]

The 38mm Apple Watch is a lot smaller and that seems to work ok.

Would you buy a round iPhone and except that it had smaller fonts to accommodate the round screen? As you know this has all been hashed 2 years ago and Apple shows absolutely NO signs of making a less space/text efficient round UI. I'm sure Apple has decided that the function of such a small screen is paramount and that Apple dictates (as they always have) that its style IS the style.